PLAYING THE PONIES
Sam Houston Race Park selections for Friday, Jan. 10
Jan 10, 2020, 6:50 am
PLAYING THE PONIES
Here are my selections for opening night at Sam Houston Race Park. These are not meant to be in exact order, but merely the four horses I think have the best chance to win. For beginners, I suggest exacta boxes with three horses, using two of mine and one of your own. And you can always pick up a copy of Acing Racing 2016 to learn everything you need to know. (These are the picks and format that are available on the free tip sheet at SHRP). We will be doing The Blitz from 4-7 at the track so please drop by.
FIRST
5-2-8-3
JERSEY CUT will be a short price but class plunge puts her in the mix
SECOND
7-5-3-6
California shipper EXCAVATION has been in tough out West and works here are solid
THIRD
5-7-3-12
LADY SHAMAN has solid works for a barn that has a lot of win early runners
FOURTH
1-8-12-10
JAZZ MUSIC gets back to a sensible level and should be competitive here
FIFTH
11-4-2-8
VALID DECISION has a good record over the surface and could surprise here
SIXTH
6-2-3-5
CATKINS might be better if this is off the turf, but contender either way
SEVENTH
6-9-8-11
DARK ARDEN was competitive on a tough circuit and fits well here
EIGHTH
9-6-2-8
SILVER CITY TRICK has been knocking heads with tough runners in Oklahoma
NINTH
3-8-1-2
FLEETA BELLE has been close in last two and might break through here
TENTH
4-6-11-1
DOC'S CLASS ACT faced a couple tough fields in Oklahoma; fits well here
For the Houston Rockets, it's already been an exciting offseason, with the team trading for NBA superstar Kevin Durant earlier this week. The Rockets also inked extensions with big man Steven Adams and head coach Ime Udoka in recent weeks.
Apparently the action isn't slowing down as the Rockets have reportedly agreed to a contract extension with guard Fred VanVleet.
Senior ESPN NBA analyst Sham Charania is reporting that VanVleet intends to sign a 2-year, $50 million contract with Houston.
Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet intends to sign a two-year, $50 million contract to stay with the franchise, with a player option in 2026-27, sources tell ESPN. Rockets are declining VanVleet's $44.9 million team option and land the new deal with Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul. pic.twitter.com/rwtEUptBQT
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2025
Charania is also reporting that VanVleet has a player option for the 2026-2027 season.
In 60 games, VanVleet averaged just over 14 points and 5.6 assists per game last season.
This is a team-friendly deal for the Rockets that gets them below the luxury tax line, helping them avoid the repeater tax. It also opens up the full $14.1 million mid-level exception to add more talent to the roster. For VanVleet, it's more total money and an extra year of security.
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